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Copyright

All universities and libraries in Canada are required to comply with Canadian copyright law, and with the international copyright conventions to which Canada is signatory. In practical terms, this means that any copying of materials by University faculty, staff or students, regardless of format, is subject to certain limits and restrictions.

The use of copyrighted works at the University of Guelph is enabled by:

The terms of the Canadian Copyright Act, which contains a fair dealing exception as well as numerous educational exceptions

Licensing agreements with the publishers of e-journals and e-books

Permissions secured from authors, publishers, and other copyright owners as required

It is an infringement of copyright to copy all or any substantial part of a copyright-protected work without the permission of the copyright owner, unless copying or communicating the work falls within one of the exemptions in the Copyright Act, or is permitted by the terms of a licensing agreement.

For more information about the resources and guides on this site, contact Heather Martin, University Copyright Officer, 519-824-4120 extension 54701, fairdealing@uoguelph.ca.

Copyright & the Library

Copyright Guidelines
A general guide to copyright as it pertains to collections and services at the University of Guelph Library

University of Guelph Fair Dealing Policy

The fair dealing exemption in the Copyright Act provides that fair dealing with a copyright-protected work does not infringe copyright when done for one of the following eight purposes: research, private study, criticism, review, news reporting, education, satire, or parody. To fall within the fair dealing exemption, your copying or communicating of a work, must be for one of the eight purposes and also must be fair, according to six factors set out by the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Fair Dealing Policy for Universities, and other related documents below, provide guidance on how the fair dealing exemption might apply in a university environment.

Fair Dealing Policy for Universities (PDF – 20kb)
This Fair Dealing Policy was developed and approved by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. It provides guidance on making copies of copyright-protected works in accordance with the fair dealing exception in the Copyright Act and relevant Supreme Court decisions

Fair Dealing Application Guides
These documents address the application of the Fair Dealing Policy for Universities to various types of university copying, including copying for use in course packs and Learning Management Systems (e.g. CourseLink), as well as for teaching, research, and administrative purposes

Fair Dealing Tool
Try using this tool to guide you when assessing whether the fair dealing exception might apply to your copying

Copyright Resources for UG Faculty, Staff, and Students

Copyright Guide For Instructors (PDF – 150kb)
A guide to making copies for instructional purposes, based on the Fair Dealing Policy for Universities, and other relevant exceptions in the Copyright Act

Author Rights, Copyright, and Publishing
The Library's Research Enterprise and Scholarly Communications Team provides copyright support for campus authors, including publishing, author rights, and copyright consultation services

University of Guelph Copyright Poster(PDF - 318kb)
This poster is intended to be displayed at the university's photocopiers, scanners and printing equipment, in order to provide general guidance on the application of copyright law and the University's Fair Dealing Policy to copies made by faculty, staff, students and other members of the University community. Copies may be downloaded and posted at any University copying or scanning location.

The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) has developed a series of application documents to assist universities with applying the Fair Dealing Policy for Universities to various types of university copying, including copying for use in course packs and Learning Management Systems (e.g. CourseLink), as well as for teaching, research, and administrative purposes.